The 2022 Singapore Premier League (also known as the AIA Singapore Premier League due to sponsorship reasons) was the 5th season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018.Football: Goodbye S-League, welcome Singapore Premier League Straits Times, 21 March 2018 The champions of the 2022 Singapore Premier League should have qualified for the AFC Champions League. The season began in March and ended on 15 October.
Lion City Sailors were the defending champions, having won their third Singapore Premier League title in the previous season. Albirex Niigata (S) won their fifth title.
Format The following key changes were made to the rules since the 2022 season.
Each team is able to register up to 25 players in their squad, a reduction of 3 players as compared from 2020. Albirex is allowed to have a minimum squad of 18 players under professional contract, as at the pre-season minimum registration deadline, and a maximum of 25 players. From 2021, Albirex is allowed to sign a maximum of 2 overage Singaporean players. As in 2019 and 2020, Albirex must have two Singaporeans in their starting lineup for each game. Young Lions is allowed to register a minimum of 20 players as at the pre-season minimum registration deadline, and a maximum of 35 players as at the close of the first registration window. Young Lions and Lion City Sailors to play their home games at Jalan Besar Stadium, while Balestier Khalsa will play at Toa Payoh Stadium. Other stadiums used are: (1) Our Tampines Hub (Tampines Rovers and Geylang International), Hougang Stadium (Hougang United) and (3) Jurong East Stadium (Albirex Niigata and Tanjong Pagar United). Teams will be equipped with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices - among other performance and tracking gear. Value of the sponsorship is worth around $620,000. SPL teams are allowed to register a maximum of four foreign players with no age restrictions, of whom at least one shall be of the nationality of an AFC Member Association. A maximum of four foreign players may be named or fielded in any one match. Players shall be allocated jersey numbers 1 to 50. Jersey number become available for allocation to new members after a player ceased to play.
Teams will be required to field only one U-23 player – instead of three – for the first half of a match from next season. There will be no limit on the number of U-23 players registered in each squad. SPL teams will play each other four times. Teams will be able to register 20 players per match. There will be 9 substitutes allowed on a team's bench. Each team will need to field a minimum of one under-23 player of Singaporean nationality for the entire duration of the first half. Teams will receive monetary rewards for each of their U-23 players who get called up to the national teams. 1st transfer window: 1 January 2021 to 20 March 2022 2nd transfer window: 17 May 2021 to 13 June 2022
On 30 September 2022, the AFC had agreed to give its consent for Brunei DPMM's participation
Teams A total of 8 teams competed in the league. Albirex Niigata (S) from Japan is the only foreign team invited.
Stadiums and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Albirex Niigata (S) Jurong East Stadium Balestier Khalsa Toa Payoh Stadium Geylang International Our Tampines Hub Hougang United Hougang Stadium Lion City Sailors Jalan Besar Stadium Tampines Rovers Our Tampines Hub Tanjong Pagar United Jurong East Stadium Young Lions Jalan Besar Stadium
Personnel and sponsors Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Main shirt sponsor Other shirt sponsors Albirex Niigata (S) Kazuaki Yoshinaga Jun Kobayashi Takahiro Koga (VC) Fairoz Hasan (VC) Mizuno Denka Lensmode Kubota Reeracoen Kirin EnglishCentral Gain City Dpro Logistics Namics One Asia Lawyers JPLUS+ Daiho Group JTB NSG Sanpoutei Ramen SMBC ACCEA Singapore PR Times Nippon Medical Care HIT Singapore With You Global Creations SD Aircon At Twenty Salonpas Crown Line SETA Technologies Salonpas Soken Medical Dr. Stretch Balestier Khalsa Peter de Roo Shuhei Hoshino (C) Darren Teh (C) Ho Wai Loon (C) Adidas Jeep Weston Corporation Project Vaults PSB Academy TopGrid Pest Dr. Stretch StarBalm Geylang International Mohd Noor Ali Zaiful Nizam Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib (VC) FBT Epson Aris Studio 23 Joydom Engineering My Protein Singapore Steel Industries Springleaf Prata Place Fightzone TRUE Fitness Dr. Stretch Hougang United Clement Teo Fabian Kwok Lionel Tan (VC) Nazrul Nazari (VC) Ridhuan Barudin (VC) Warrix The Physio Circle SportCenter by Zup Cafe Football (CF) The Arena SpeedFitness Polar Water StarBalm Lion City Sailors Luka Lalic (Interim) Hariss Harun Amirul Adli (VC) Nur Adam Abdullah (VC) Puma Sea Shopee Garena Citrus by the pool WLJK Good bites TAPS Tampines Rovers Gavin Lee Yasir Hanapi Syazwan Buhari (VC) Irwan Shah (VC) Kyoga Nakamura (VC) Mizuno ANA Courier Express Rookbook My Protein Singapore Bauerfeind Sports The Co-op JSSL FC Canadian 2 for 1 pizza StarBalm Tanjong Pagar United Hasrin Jailani Faritz Abdul Hameed Daniel Bennett (VC) FBT Tokyo Century Samtrade Academy Hyundai StarBalm The Rehab Lab Young Lions Nazri Nasir Jacob Mahler Shah Shahiran (VC) Nike Catapult
Coaching changes Team Outgoing Head Coach Manner of Departure Date of Vacancy Position in table Incoming Head Coach Date of appointment Balestier Khalsa Marko Kraljević Contract Ended 10 October 2021 Pre-Season Akbar Nawas 22 October 2021 Albirex Niigata (S) Keiji Shigetomi Redesignated as Asst. Coach 26 October 2021 Pre-Season Kazuaki Yoshinaga 26 October 2021 Young Lions Philippe Aw End of caretaker role 31 December 2021 Pre-Season Nazri Nasir 1 January 2022 Lion City Sailors Kim Do-hoon Left by Mutual Consent 11 August 2022 1st Luka Lalic (interim) 11 August 2022 Balestier Khalsa Akbar Nawas Mutual Termination Joining Udon Thani 18 August 2022 7th Peter de Roo (interim) 27 August 2022 Hougang United Clement Teo Stepped Down 20 November 2022 End of Season Firdaus Kassim (interim)
Note 1: Marko Kraljević was subsequently appointed as the Head, Youth for Hougang United.
Transfers
Foreign players Singapore Premier League clubs can sign a maximum of four foreign players in the 2021 season, up from three as compared to 2019. However, one of them has to be 21 years old or younger on 1 January 2021 (Or at the age of registration).
Albirex Niigata can sign up unlimited number of Singaporean players for the new season. Only 2 local player above 23 years old is allowed.
Players name in bold indicates the player was registered after the season start or during the mid-season transfer window. Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 AFC Player SG U-23 Player U-21 Player Former Players Albirex Niigata (S) Hyrulnizam Juma'at Fairoz Hassan Zamani Zamri Kai Yamamoto Nicky Singh Junki Yoshimura Ilhan Fandi Wong Jun Kai Fikri Junaidi Hilman Norhisam Kenji Austin Shakthi Vinayagavijayan Balestier Khalsa Ensar Brunčević Shuhei Hoshino Ryoya Tanigushi Kuraba Kondo Conor MacKay Yann Weishaupt Max McCoy Hari McCoy Geylang International Šime Žužul Vincent Bezecourt Takahiro Tezuka Rio Sakuma Hougang United André Moritz Pedro Bortoluzo Kristijan Krajček Kaishu Yamazaki Lion City Sailors Diego Lopes Pedro Henrique Maxime Lestienne Kim Shin-wook Tampines Rovers Zehrudin Mehmedović Boris Kopitović Kyoga Nakamura Shuya Yamashita Tanjong Pagar United Mirko Šugić Blake Ricciuto Reo Nishiguchi Shodai Nishikawa
Note 1: From 2021, Albirex is allowed to sign a maximum of 2 Singaporean players above the age of 23.
Results League table
Fixtures and results Clubs play each other four times for 28 matches each.
Matches 1–14
Matches 15–28
Statistics
Top scorers As of 21 October 2022 RankPlayerClubGoals1 Boris KopitovićTampines Rovers352 Kodai TanakaAlbirex Niigata (S)333 Reo NishiguchiTanjong Pagar United264 Kim Shin-wookLion City Sailors215 Shuhei HoshinoBalestier Khalsa18 Šime ŽužulGeylang International Pedro BortoluzoHougang United6 Ilhan Fandi Albirex Niigata (S) *15 Young Lions FC *2 177 Song Ui-youngLion City Sailors138 Maxime Lestienne12 Taufik SuparnoTampines Rovers9 Shawal AnuarHougang United11 Gabriel QuakLion City Sailors10 Tadanari LeeAlbirex Niigata (S)10 Ryoya TanigushiBalestier Khalsa Vincent BezecourtGeylang International Diego LopesLion City Sailors
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Kodai Tanaka4 Albirex Niigata (S) Balestier Khalsa 6–0 5 March 2022 Boris Kopitović Tampines Rovers Hougang United 7–1 18 March 2022 Kim Shin-wook Lion City Sailors Balestier Khalsa 4–0 1 April 2022 Hougang United 4–3 6 May 2022 Kodai Tanaka Albirex Niigata (S) Geylang International 8–2 27 May 2022 Pedro Bortoluzo Hougang United Tampines Rovers 4–3 13 July 2022 Ilhan Fandi Albirex Niigata (S) Balestier Khalsa 4–1 16 July 2022 Zikos Chua4 Young Lions Tanjong Pagar United 4–2 7 August 2022 Kodai Tanaka Albirex Niigata (S) Young Lions 7–1 10 August 2022 Shuhei Hoshino Balestier Khalsa Hougang United 6–1 12 August 2022 Kim Shin-wook Lion City Sailors Young Lions 10–1 13 August 2022 Hougang United 9-4 26 August 2022 Kodai Tanaka4 Albirex Niigata (S) Balestier Khalsa 5–3 2 September 2022 Reo Nishiguchi5 Tanjong Pagar United Young Lions 8–1 1 October 2022 Ryoya Tanigushi Balestier Khalsa Lion City Sailors 5–3 2 October 2022 Kodai Tanaka Albirex Niigata (S) 4–2 7 October 2022 Pedro Bortoluzo Hougang United Young Lions 5–3 15 October 2022
Note 4 Player scored 4 goals 5 Player scored 5 goals
Top assists As of 21 October 2022 RankPlayerClubAssists1 Maxime LestienneLion City Sailors232 Kristijan KrajcekHougang United173 Masaya IdetsuAlbirex Niigata (S)164 Boris KopitovićTampines Rovers155 Ryoya TanigushiBalestier Khalsa116 Kodai TanakaAlbirex Niigata (S)10 Diego LopesLion City Sailors
Clean sheets As of 1 October 2022 RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Zaiful NizamGeylang International92 Hassan SunnyLion City Sailors73 Takahiro KogaAlbirex Niigata (S)4 Zharfan RohaizadTanjong Pagar United
Penalty missed Player For Against Date Jacob Mahler Young Lions Albirex Niigata (S) Kuraba Kondo Balestier Khalsa Lion City Sailors Ryoya Taniguchi Shuhei Hoshino Boris Kopitović Tampines Rovers Hougang United
Own goal Player For Against Date Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib Geylang International Albirex Niigata (S) Faritz Abdul Hameed Tanjong Pagar United Tampines Rovers Pedro Henrique Lion City Sailors Tanjong Pagar United Qayyum Raishyan Geylang International Young Lions Ryaan Sanizal Tampines Rovers Lion City Sailors Syahrul Sazali Young Lions Albirex Niigata (S) Harhys Stewart Reo Kunimoto Albirex Niigata (S) Young Lions Shakir Hamzah Tanjong Pagar United Geylang International Ryaan Sanizal Tampines Rovers Albirex Niigata (S)
Yellow Cards (Team) As of 27 October 2022 RankClubYellow Cards1Tanjong Pagar United662Tampines Rovers623Hougang United614Balestier Khalsa525Lion City Sailors46
Yellow Cards (Players) As of 27 October 2022 RankPlayersClubYellow Cards1Yasir HanapiTampines Rovers9Raihan RahmanTanjong Pagar United2Rusyaidi SalimeTanjong Pagar United7Blake RicciutoTanjong Pagar UnitedJared GallagherYoung Lions FC
Red Cards (Team) As of 27 October 2022 RankClubRed Cards1Geylang International52Hougang United33Lion City Sailors2Tanjong Pagar United
Awards
Monthly awards